A method of fertility evaluation for paddy soils

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In order to refine the chemical potentiality component extracted by principal component analysis, the method of factor analysis with a subsequent orthogonal rotation of the factor axes was applied to the data of 41 Malayan paddy soil samples. To adapt to the mathematical model of the method, a common logarithmic transformation was preliminarily applied to the 11 character data used in this study to convert their distribution type to normal. Based on principal component analysis, and Lawley's maximum likelihood method with Bartlett's test for the adequacy of number of factors, four factors were taken into consideration. The varimax rotation of the factor loadings obtained by the maximum likelihood, method, established readily interpretable factor axes. They are 1) skeletal organic matter status, 2) available phosphorus status, 3) inherent potentiality, and 4) available nitrogen status. On the basis of estimated factor scores, gradings of the sample soils were established with respect to each of the four factors. Inherent potentiality gave a similar grading to the previously established chemical potentiality grading, except for organic matter-rich soils in swampy lands.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: